Calling it quits?

mbenigni said:
borat-mankini-fines.jpg
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Oh c'mon. Show the whole pic! Haha
 
Jarick said:
Oh totally, music in the car is a big difference. I mostly listen to podcasts around the house or while working now. Add in that new music just isn't that that interesting and I'm kind of sick of the old music I listened to over and over again. That's why I almost just think about taking a break and coming back refreshed.
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Well, I have an 11 year old daughter, so I guess I do listen to a lot of Taylor Swift. :oops: Honestly, I think there's plenty of good, new music (including a lot of Swift's catalog, though I could really stand a break LOL.) I just haven't made the time to establish any context or meaning for any of it for myself - as we had when we listened to those same cherished albums over and over and over again in our misspent youths. :)

Half the "music" I encounter from day to day is glorified tech demos on YouTube, etc. "Listen to my song and we'll talk about which IRs I loaded into which modeler and maybe even talk about who wound my pickups and..." Not to disparage the playing, which is often exemplary, but it starts to feel like a very specific flavor of innocence lost/ what was the point of all this again?
 
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Stone said:
Unfortunately for me my lifelong dream to play guitar only started ~ 4 years ago, i have been passionate about music especially guitar since a was very young. in my early youth i was not encouraged and often times discouraged to play musical instruments, even though my parents were very aware of my passion for music, then later life (school/work) got seriously in the way
But for me journey is just starting and ill likely be playing guitar till I cant no more
Its a passion that i enjoy very much and I'm not looking to play in a band or make a profession out of it, just play at home and record songs ive always loved and wanted to play

Cheers
Mike
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Well, you’re kickin’ ass already and making up for lost time! Don’t be surprised if you find the curiosity bug hitting you at some point. There IS a reason so many of us keep getting back into bands, or hop from one band to the other. I entirely forgot how good it feels to musically communicate with someone else who is on the same page.

The guitar player for the band I joined was over my place last night going over songs and numerous times we’d look at each other and nod or chuckle because we were actively responding to what we were both playing. I was learning one of their originals and since it’s funk stuff, it’s really silly to double up clean guitars in that context, so I’d play variations of what he was, sometimes stop, sometimes I was just strumming muted strings. When it works, it’s effortless and one of the coolest damn things I’ve ever experienced. It’s worth the hassle of dealing with shitheads, but maaaaan, when you haven’t done it for a while and all you dealt with was shitheads, it’s VERY easy to forget.

And I mean, dude, you’ve got two Power cabs, you know how much fun you’d have cranking those up in stereo with a drummer in the room? Just don’t pass it up when the chance comes by!
 
DrewJD82 said:
Well, you’re kickin’ ass already and making up for lost time! Don’t be surprised if you find the curiosity bug hitting you at some point. There IS a reason so many of us keep getting back into bands, or hop from one band to the other. I entirely forgot how good it feels to musically communicate with someone else who is on the same page.

The guitar player for the band I joined was over my place last night going over songs and numerous times we’d look at each other and nod or chuckle because we were actively responding to what we were both playing. I was learning one of their originals and since it’s funk stuff, it’s really silly to double up clean guitars in that context, so I’d play variations of what he was, sometimes stop, sometimes I was just strumming muted strings. When it works, it’s effortless and one of the coolest damn things I’ve ever experienced. It’s worth the hassle of dealing with s*******s, but maaaaan, when you haven’t done it for a while and all you dealt with was s*******s, it’s VERY easy to forget.

And I mean, dude, you’ve got two Power cabs, you know how much fun you’d have cranking those up in stereo with a drummer in the room? Just don’t pass it up when the chance comes by!
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Your absolutely right Drew, Never say never and never say die :beer
 
Started at 15 and now in the 60’s. For whatever reason I took something like a 2 year hiatus from playing in the early 90’s. I was consumed with woodworking at the time and my playing and equipment were stagnant. Picked it back up and built some amps and cabs. Got new guitars. Started jamming with some guys. Then I smashed my left hand in a machine at work. So I learned to play slide. Then I learned how to play with my F’d up hand. I got back to better than before. I’m a decent player but not what I’d call great. Considering what I did to my hand I’m happy with my progress. I picked up a Fractal modeler which inspires me quite a bit, and have been playing more than ever. I know some guys I can jam with occasionally. No gigging except during my time in the service in the 80’s. So in January I slipped on some stairs, left elbow caught in the railing and did a job on the rotator cuff. Basically my body was going down and my shoulder went up. I had to quit playing for a couple weeks. Had surgery 3 weeks ago so I haven’t been playing. Torn tendons can’t always be repaired so now my left cuff has 2 out of 4. I was playing before surgery but it’s taking awhile now. I tried yesterday and paid for it today. I’ll be back in the saddle soon, hopefully next week. With luck I’ll stop doing stupid shit to my appendages and just play until I’m done. My son plays so he’s going to get all my equipment when that happens. Lucky bastard. Gives me comfort though knowing I have someone to hand it off to.
 
"We didn't have rehab back in the Seventies. Back in the Seventies, rehab meant you stopped doing coke, but you kept smoking pot and drinking for a couple more weeks."

I hung it up this past fall. Not like quit guitar, just not gigging. Covid made a good thing die and getting back to that is gonna take more work than I'm willing to put in with the kids and all.

I'll sit home and play what I want, Noodle, create, and lately - build.
 
I don't anticipate that I'll ever quit playing. I started playing in high school and starting actually gigging regularly when I was in college. I'd say I gigged consistently for about 15 years with various bands and styles of play. By that point I was getting into my mid 30's and the guys I was in a band with at the time were starting to have wives and girlfriends and kids (and careers aside from music) and it just kind of folded. At that point I took a break. That break lasted about 8 years!!! By then I was married with a daughter. Finally a buddy of mine was moving out of state and asked me to sub in his band until they found a replacement guitarist. I subbed for approximately 5 or 6 shows (in 2019). At first I was having a blast. These guys were 15-20 years older than I so the musicianship was there and they were all great dudes, but the chemistry and tastes in music differed. I wasn't about to try to impose my thoughts on what I thought we should play since I was a guest in this established band, so I bowed out gracefully and thanked them for the opportunity. I haven't played out since.

At times I miss playing out in front of people and getting that rush, but there are more times that I'm just as happy sitting at home on the couch playing. I still play a lot everyday. I feel like my chops are better than ever. I've considered getting back out there and have had some opportunities, but I also don't want to miss a single second of my daughter growing up and being a dad.

I sometimes think, "Why do I even still play?" I think the answer is, I just love it so much. I love music, gear, talking about gear, looking at gear, learning about gear, learning about music, etc. I've been playing for 30 years now and I'd hate to just give it all up.

However, everyone is different and everyone has different lives, desires, and circumstances. This just happens to be mine. Good luck with whatever you choose and just think.... You learned to play and had a blast I'm sure. I meet people everyday that say they wished they had learned to play an instrument. At least you have a leg up on them in that department.
 
Man, after being rather obsessed with music since I was a kid I have seen people who I know
are musicians at their core quit. They are some of the most miserable people as a result of it.

I have seen it so many times that it might as well be a rule of life. Give up something you
love naturally and organically and you will pay a price for it.

Doesn't mean someone can't step back for reasons of life circumstances or health. Sometimes
life intervenes. But I will go on record as saying that if it is part of who you are and you think
Life will be better or easier without music being an active and integral part, then you are crazy
and have bigger issues than whether to keep playing music or not. :wat
 
la szum said:
Man, after being rather obsessed with music since I was a kid I have seen people who I know
are musicians at their core quit. They are some of the most miserable people as a result of it.

I have seen it so many times that it might as well be a rule of life. Give up something you
love naturally and organically and you will pay a price for it.

Doesn't mean someone can't step back for reasons of life circumstances or health. Sometimes
life intervenes. But I will go on record as saying that if it is part of who you are and you think
Life will be better or easier without music being an active and integral part, then you are crazy
and have bigger issues than whether to keep playing music or not. :wat
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That was interesting… Made me think a little bit. Lol

I reckon (at the end of whatever circuitous logic I used) that I’m a composite. I’m a man first, a musician second. I am many things in this life, including a father, a husband, a friend and a servant to the Father.

While music is critical my entire life, I’ve had to focus on other areas because that was the driving priority at the time.

I believe we were all born with several gifts, and it is our duty to try to exercise them.


Ymmv
 
la szum said:
Man, after being rather obsessed with music since I was a kid I have seen people who I know
are musicians at their core quit. They are some of the most miserable people as a result of it.

I have seen it so many times that it might as well be a rule of life. Give up something you
love naturally and organically and you will pay a price for it.

Doesn't mean someone can't step back for reasons of life circumstances or health. Sometimes
life intervenes. But I will go on record as saying that if it is part of who you are and you think
Life will be better or easier without music being an active and integral part, then you are crazy
and have bigger issues than whether to keep playing music or not. :wat
Click to expand...

Indeed. Even in the lowest of times, primarily the majority of last year when writer’s block was really kicking my ass, while I may have questioned “Am I spent on original music already?” I never once considered quitting, I knew it’d come back. Seems to come in short bursts now (TWSS) but I also think some of the changes I went through as a result of last year are at the root of that, all the not-wanting/not feeding into desires/Buddhism stuff. Need to figure out how to balance that out a bit!
 
For me it would have to be something like losing my hearing. I was going to say losing an arm but I think then I'd just swap from guitar to keyboards or drums. Or maybe pedal steel slide guitar depending how much of an arm I lost.

That said, I'm happy I didn't pursue music as a career. It's a tough industry.
 
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